Our team
We have a dedicated team of 22 coaches who cover all of our programs from Nationally Competitive to Learn to Row. They are supported by our management team and a select crew of coxswains and volunteers to keep each practice session running smoothly. Each program is overseen by a senoir member of the coaching staff (listed below) to ensure teaching standards, style and safety are monitored. Good coaches are hard to find but with a little hard work and our Coaching Internship Program we are constantly developing naturally talented teachers. We're very lucky to have such high caliber staff sharing their experience and skill with our teams.
Mara Barckert, Director and Captain
"It's an honor to be part of the LUC family. Every day I look forward to all the hard work ahead to keep the boathouse running smoothly and successfully."
Mara found her passion for rowing in 1988 just out of middle school at Mount Baker rowing, followed it with a year at the University of Washington and then trained in a single on her own. She found her permanent rowing home at Lake Union Crew in 2002, where she rows as part of the Nationally Competitive team. She has been an integral part of the the boathouse since then as a rower, coach, and as a volunteer helping maintain our boathouse.
Mara spent three years at Race In JL managing the store and getting to know the business side of the rowing community. Before that she spent eight years at the Northwest Outdoor Center where she led classes and trips in the San Juans. She also brings considerable experience in managing and co-ordinating large and small construction projects- building a four seat fiberglass plane, retrofitting a 107' steel tugboat, building 3 wood kayaks and maintaining her nearly 50 year old fiberglass sailboat.
As the Director at LUC she’s doing what she loves in an official capacity; taking on our management team, remodeling projects and regular facilities maintenance to keep the boathouse running, like a well oiled machine or a really fast eight.
Kayleigh Mack, Coaching Development and Coach
More on Kmack soon!
Tiffany Knapp, Head Junior Novice Coach
Tiffany was a member of the first Holy Names Academy rowing team in 1993 and, after 4 years of high school rowing, continued competing in college at the University of New Hampshire. She first rowed with Lake Union Crew shortly after its inception in the summer of 1998. After an undefeated final season of college rowing, Tiffany began coaching at River City Rowing Club in West Sacramento, California. She spent 10 years as Head Coach, Club President, Program Director, Safety Coordinator, and Regatta Director for River City prior to returning to Seattle and Lake Union Crew in 2010.
Tiffany is also a USRowing Referee. She officiates at several local and national regattas throughout the year, including Northwest and Southwest Junior and Master Regionals, Youth Nationals, Club Nationals, and the NCAA Championships.
Aimee Quiggle, Business Manager and Coach
Welcome Aboard Aimee - her real biography is coming soon but here's what we know about her so far!
Aimee's been rowing and now coaching with Lake Union Crew since she quit her job as a trapeze artist with a small but well known mid-West circus whose name she refuses to reveal. If anyone saw her there or has any photos of her exciting past life, please send them to us so we have a better photo of her for this website. She has been great to work with on the water and off, her rowers love the cookies and other baked goods she is constantly bringing in. In her free time she climbs around her indoor climbing gym with her pet 3 toed sloth named Dr. Goldtooth.
Gwynedd Rzegocki, Event Coordinator and Coach
"I enjoy having the opportunity to introduce rowing to high school students and watch them be inspired and surprised by their own athletic passion."
Gwynedd rejoined Lake Union Crew as the Events Coordinator and Assistant Novice Coach for the Junior Program in the Spring of 2011.
She originally started her rowing career at LUC as a member of Holy Names Academy Crew and continued rowing at Princeton University for four more years there. After graduating in 2008, Gwynedd took a break from the rowing world and worked at a school for traumatized children in the Middle East for two years.
Upon her return to Seattle, she began working at LUC as the Event Coordinator and Assistant Summer Camp Coach. She brings her passion for rowing and teaching as well as her considerable organizational talents and experiences to LUC and is constantly entertaining us with her energy and enthusiasm.
Chris Hansen, Strength & Conditioning Coach
"I have been an exercise specialist in Seattle for 10 years and believe that exercise is a lifestyle rather than a have-to-follow regime. I encourage high levels of enjoyment in classes with challenging workouts, designed to push rowers to a new level of strength & fitness"
Chris joined the Lake Union Crew team in 2007 with extensive experience in track & field, triathlons, soccer, strength and functional training design. He has developed a strength and conditioning program for LUC specifically for the rower; precise exercises that support the maximum transfer of power to the boat - which equals speed on the water. The programs covers all levels of rower from elite to beginner.
Chris's program has a two-fold goal. First, to increase and build muscle strength in the most important aspects of the rowers physique, lower body and core. Second, to overcome the muscular imbalances of a repetitive motion, such as rowing. As every sport has its injuries due to repetitive motion, he includes a set of body conditioning techniques to counterbalance the risk and severity of injury.
Chris is a graduate of Western Washington University with a BS in Exercise Science a
and a Master’s degree in Human Movement and Performance. He balances his enjoyment of work with running, cycling and spending time with his family.
Caitlin McClain, Holy Names Academy Crew Head Coach
"It has always been important for me to give back to the people and places that provided me with such amazing life opportunities. I am extremely proud to have come from Lake Union Crew and continue to be a part of it."
Caitlin has been a part of Lake Union Crew since its inception in 1998 when she began rowing with Holy Names Academy. She has over 11 years experience as a rower and a coach. She is a consummate professional, cheerful and energetic regardless of which hat she’s wearing as Business Manager or Coach.
In 2005, after finishing her collegiate rowing career and graduating summa cum laude from Loyola Marymount University, Caitlin was asked to return to Lake Union Crew as a coach. Making the best use of her skills and experience Caitlin’s role developed and in 2007 she was promoted to Business Manager of Lake Union Crew and Head Coach for Holy Names Academy Crew.
Her natural ability to multi task is still a vital part of making LUC run efficiently. Her role has previously covered scheduling for LUC programs, program events and regattas, facilities coordination, managing weddings & events, bookkeeping, customer service, marketing, communications and supporting members & staff. Caitlin recently obtained a Master’s degree in Student Development Administration from Seattle University and is currently the Head Coach for Holy Names Academy Crew.
Rome Ventura, Founder
"The spirit of a group of people pushing and encouraging each other to exceed their expectations is what drives me daily. Combine that with a love of the water and a generosity toward community and that’s what Lake Union Crew is all about."
Rome is our big-hearted director whose love of rowing combined with a unique business drive has enabled her to establish an amazing boathouse, develop a competitive crew, and build a community.
She began rowing as a lightweight in 1991 and coxing competitively in 1992. This led to founding a masters team and helping to establish crew as a varsity sport at Holy Names Academy, her high school alma mater.
Rome’s coaching career began in 1996 and her dedication and relentless drive to be the best has led her crews to many national and international gold medals; including 13 first place medals at the Head of the Charles Regatta and 11 Gold medals at the San Diego Crew Classic. She is as well known for her excellent coaching skills as she is for her ability to have fun. Everyone enjoys her sense of humor while working hard on the water.
Her desire to create a rowing community for people of all ages and skill levels inspired her to build Lake Union Crew. In 1997 armed with 30 years of building and real estate development experience, Rome began the task of building the two floating vessels that house LUC, the Inspiration and the Unity.
Since then, Holy Names Academy's crew program has grown to over 60 athletes and Lake Union Crew, home to over 300 members, has become one of the premier rowing clubs in the United States. The teams at LUC have been recognized for winning trophies and medals from local, national, and international competitions.
Ann Wunderlin, Executive Director, Lake Union Crew Outreach Foundation
"Putting my skills to use for the LUC Outreach Foundation is very natural for me. It is a place where I have the joy of giving back while still employing my business skills to see our outreach projects through to successful completion."
Ann has worked with Lake Union Crew for over 11 years. She brings her calm authoritative voice, business acumen and wealth of non-profit management experience to the Executive Director position of the Lake Union Crew Outreach Foundation.
A tough competitor to the core Ann understands the training and dedication required to excel in the sporting world. A 4-year varsity athlete in tennis at University of Michigan she won State and Regional Championships. And as an adult rower she has won in both national and international competitions, including four Head of the Charles victories.
After graduating from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor Degree in General Studies she then pursued her MBA at Western Michigan University, majoring in Management Information Systems. Ann later worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the Logistics department for their US Library Program. Now, continuing her career in higher education, she is a Senior Analyst and Project Manager at the University of Washington.
A lifelong volunteer and often cited for her fun-loving contributions and team-building spirit, Ann’s desire to give back started early. As a child, she and her best friend spontaneously canvassed the neighborhood one Labor Day weekend, collecting hundreds of dollars for Jerry’s kids. More recently, she served on the Board of her children’s preschool, spearheaded fundraising for non-profits, supported Seattle’s Global Visionaries foundation and donated website and accounting consulting services for several small businesses.